Boughter's Lawn Care Services. Fertilizing in New Castle, PA 16101 - 16105

Chinch bug ALERT

At this time of the year many lawns can show the effects of hairy chinch bug infestation. A picture of lawn damage caused by chinch bugs.Small, dead brown patches in turf grass are the result of their feeding.

Damage is caused from the bugs feeding on the sap in the grass blades. Grass blades turn yellow and then become brown and die.

Adult chinch bugs A picture of an adult chinch bug. have a very distinct marking caused by the coloring on their wings. It looks like a small, about 4mm in size, black insect with a white “X” on it’s back. Immature chinch bugs will look red with a white stripe.

As the chinch bugs mature and breed, more and more turf may become brown and die. They thrive in hot temperatures and prefer full sun. You may see the damage stop at a shade line but they will progress into the shade. A picture showing the size of an adult chinch bug.If left untreated they can and will kill an entire lawn. Common hosts are bluegrass, fescues, bentgrass, and zoysiagrass.

If you think you may have chinch bugs in your lawn please call (724) 698-5515 and set up an appointment to diagnose and treat your issue.